2019 Honda Passport

Is the Honda Passport a Good SUV?

The new Passport is a great midsize SUV. It offers a generous amount of passenger and cargo space for a two-row SUV. It also has a well-built cabin, lots of standard safety features, and a potent V6 engine. It aims for the sweet spot between the on-road comfort of rivals like the Ford Edge and the off-road prowess of the Jeep Grand Cherokee. While it lands more on the comfort side, it does have some light off-roading capabilities. All in all, the Passport is a well-rounded vehicle.

Should I Buy the Honda Passport?

The 2019 Passport is a comfortable, spacious midsize SUV that’s great to drive on the trails, around town, and on the freeway. However, this is a highly competitive segment, and many rivals offer some appealing traits of their own. The Honda Pilot is basically a Passport with three rows and less off-road capability. For an even more proficient off-roader, consider the Jeep Grand Cherokee or Toyota 4Runner.

Compare the Passport, Pilot, and Grand Cherokee »

Should I Buy a New or Used Honda Passport?

Honda reintroduced the Passport for the 2019 model year after discontinuing it in the 1990s. This model is drastically different than those older models. There are no recent Passports that are comparable on the used market.

We Did the Research for You: 11 Reviews Analyzed

Our goal is to provide you with the information you need to make car shopping a breeze. You'll find everything you need to know about this vehicle in our comprehensive Honda Passport review. It combines concrete data (like fuel economy estimates and cargo space dimensions) with professional evaluations from 11 automotive sources.

Why You Can Trust Us

We’ve been reviewing cars since 2007, and our Best Cars team has more than 75 years of combined automotive experience. We also award the Best Cars for the Money, Best Cars for Families, and Best Vehicle Brands on an annual basis. To ensure our impartiality, a third party handles our advertising, and we don't accept expensive gifts from automakers.

How Much Does the Honda Passport Cost?

The base Honda Passport Sport has an MSRP of $31,990. That’s above average among midsize SUVs. The top-of-the-line Elite trim starts at $43,680, which is a little less than the high-end trims of many rivals.

Check out our U.S. News Best Price Program for great savings at your local Honda dealer. You can also find excellent manufacturer incentives on our Honda deals page.

Honda Passport Versus the Competition

Which Is Better: Honda Passport or Toyota 4Runner?

Unless off-road journeying is your primary concern, you’re better off avoiding the Toyota 4Runner. Like the Passport, the 4Runner is an adventure-ready two-row SUV, but its on-pavement ride is ponderous and clumsy, with lots of jostling from even small road bumps. Unlike the new Passport, the 4Runner looks and feels old inside. It hasn’t been redesigned in nearly a decade, and it lacks the modern safety features available in many rivals. Additionally, this Toyota’s cabin is full of cheap-feeling materials, and it’s more expensive than the base Honda by around $3,100. The Passport is the better SUV.

Which Is Better: Honda Passport or Honda CR-V?

The Honda CR-V is a compact SUV. Despite that, it has nearly as much cargo and passenger room as its larger sibling, along with more rear-seat legroom. The CR-V also offers a handsome cabin and a serene ride, and its optional turbocharged four-cylinder engine feels peppy and energetic. The CR-V is more affordable too. Its top-level Touring trim costs about $750 more than the base Passport, and lower trims cost thousands less. On the other hand, the Passport has a lot more power, as well as more standard safety features. It’s a better off-roader too. These are both great SUVs, and picking the right one comes down to personal preference.

Which Is Better: Honda Passport or Honda Pilot?

The Honda Pilot is a great three-row SUV – it’s essentially a three-row version of the Passport. Both vehicles have the same engine and standard driver aids, as well as similar features lists. They have the same interior design and maximum towing capacity too. The Pilot has more seating space and cargo room, while the Passport is a better off-roader. Otherwise, these two are similar vehicles, so choosing between them is a matter of preference.

Compare the Passport, 4Runner, and CR-V »

Honda Passport Interior

How Many People Does the Passport Seat?

The 2019 Passport seats five people. Cloth upholstery comes standard while leather upholstery, ventilated front seats, heated front and rear seats, power-adjustable front seats, and a heated steering wheel are available.

Both rows of seats have ample space for even tall passengers. Comfort is good too, though a few critics wish the seats were a little plusher.

Passport and Car Seats

This vehicle has two complete sets of LATCH car-seat connectors on the rear outboard seats and a third tether anchor for the rear middle seat.

Passport Interior Quality

The Passport has a nice, well-built cabin full of soft-touch materials.

Passport Cargo Space

The 2019 Passport has 41.2 cubic feet of space behind the rear seats and 77.9 cubic feet behind the front seats, including 2.5 cubic feet of storage space beneath the floor. Some rivals have more total space, but many of those are three-row SUVs. Among two-row SUVs, the Passport has above-average cargo room, surpassing classmates like the Nissan Murano and Hyundai Santa Fe.

Passport Infotainment, Bluetooth, and Navigation

The base Honda Passport Sport features a 5-inch infotainment screen, Bluetooth, a USB port, and a seven-speaker sound system. Available tech upgrades include a navigation system, an 8-inch touch screen, a Wi-Fi hot spot, wireless phone charging, two more USB ports, satellite radio, HD Radio, a 10-speaker sound system, a moonroof, and Android Auto and Apple CarPlay smartphone integration.

While a few critics had difficulty using some of the touch-sensitive infotainment buttons, they also praised the overall system for its easy-to-use physical controls and simple menu layout.

For more information, read What Is Apple CarPlay? and What Is Android Auto?

Read more about interior »

Honda Passport Performance

Passport Engine: Potent and Powerful

Powering every Passport is a 3.5-liter V6 engine that makes 280 horsepower and 262 pound-feet of torque. It is paired to a nine-speed automatic transmission. This is the same powertrain you'll find in higher-trim Honda Pilots.

Whether around town or on the highway, this Honda drives and accelerates with confidence. The transmission may be a little hesitant to downshift, but it’s generally smooth and capable.

Passport Gas Mileage: Average

The new Passport gets an EPA-estimated 20 mpg in the city and 25 mpg on the highway. Those estimates are on par with most midsize SUVs, though some, such as the Nissan Murano, will save you money at the pump. For all-wheel-drive models, subtract 1 mpg from each figure.

Passport Ride and Handling: Composed Cruising

On-road, the Passport has a relaxed and comfortable ride. It remains composed around corners, and some critics even find the Passport slightly sporty. Front-wheel drive is standard, and all-wheel drive is available.

Passport Off-Roading

With no hill descent control, skid plates, or locking differentials, this SUV may not be the rough-and-tumble adventurer Honda markets it as, but the Passport is capable of light trail exploration. It has 8.1 inches of ground clearance plus available all-wheel drive. It also has an Intelligent Variable Torque Management system that offers several drive modes for various terrain.

Passport Towing Capacity

When properly equipped, this Honda can tow up to 5,000 pounds.

Read more about performance »

Honda Passport Reliability

Is the Honda Passport reliable?

As of this writing, J.D. Power has not evaluated the predicted reliability of this Honda.

Honda Passport Warranty

The Passport has a limited warranty of three years or 36,000 miles and a powertrain warranty of five years or 60,000 miles.

Read more about reliability »

Passport Safety

Passport Crash Test Results

As of this writing, neither the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration nor the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety has crash tested the 2019 Passport.

Passport Safety Features

In addition to a rearview camera and automatic high beams, this SUV comes standard with the Honda Sensing suite of driver aids, which includes lane keep assist, lane departure warning, adaptive cruise control, forward collision warning, automatic emergency braking, and a road departure mitigation system. Blind spot monitoring and rear cross traffic alert are available, as are front and rear parking sensors.

Read more about safety »

Which Honda Passport Model Is Right for Me?

Honda offers the 2019 Passport in four trim levels: Sport, EX-L, Touring, and Elite. All trims come with a V6 engine. All-wheel drive is available in every trim for $1,900.

Most shoppers will want to step up to at least the EX-L trim for its added connectivity and comfort features. All the added tech justifies the price hike.

Honda Passport Sport

The Honda Passport Sport has an MSRP of $31,990. It comes with a 5-inch infotainment screen, a seven-speaker stereo, a USB port, Bluetooth, cloth seats, push-button start, proximity keyless entry, tri-zone automatic climate control, fog lights, and alloy wheels. Standard safety features include a rearview camera, forward collision warning with brake assist, lane departure warning, lane keep assist, road departure mitigation, and adaptive cruise control.

Rear parking sensors are available for $500, and you can add a wireless phone charger for $225.

Honda Passport EX-L

The Honda Passport EX-L retails for $36,410. It builds off the Sport’s equipment list with an 8-inch touch screen, Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, satellite radio, HD Radio, a Wi-Fi hot spot, two additional USB ports, leather upholstery, heated front seats, power-adjustable front seats, a leather-wrapped steering wheel, a power liftgate, a moonroof, blind spot monitoring, and rear cross traffic alert.

The rear parking sensors and wireless phone charger are also available for this trim, and you can also get a hands-free liftgate for $300.

Honda Passport Touring

With an MSRP of $39,280, the Honda Passport Touring adds the hands-free tailgate, along with front and rear parking sensors, rear heated seats, a navigation system, a 115-volt outlet, and a premium 10-speaker stereo.

A heated steering wheel is available for $500.

 Honda Passport Elite

The Honda Passport Elite starts at $43,680. It features just about everything you can get in this Honda, including a wireless phone charger, ventilated front seats, perforated leather seats, rain-sensing windshield wipers, and a heated, leather wrapped steering wheel.

Check out our U.S. News Best Price Program for great savings at your local Honda dealer. You can also find excellent manufacturer incentives on our Honda deals page.

See 2019 Honda Passport specs and trims »

The Final Call

The new Honda Passport is an appealing vehicle across the board. It comes with a strong V6 engine that's well-suited for most driving scenarios, and its roomy, handsome cabin and numerous standard safety features boost its appeal as a family hauler. The Passport hits the sweet spot between an adventure-ready off-roader and a poised and comfortable cruiser. It's worth a look from any midsize SUV shopper.

Don’t just take our word for it. Check out comments from some of the reviews that drive our rankings and analysis.

• "If you like the Pilot but don’t need something quite so big, or if you need a daily livable SUV-type thing that can handle a climb to your Colorado cabin, the 2019 Passport is certainly worth a look. While it may not thrill in the conventional sense, this new Honda delivers the goods by doing its job almost perfectly." -- Automobile Magazine
• "The 2019 Honda Passport offers an excellent combination of comfort and capability without breaking the bank. It beats out vehicles such as the Nissan Murano and the Ford Edge when it comes to off-road capability, and it overshadows the Toyota 4Runner when it comes to on-road comfort and in-car tech. If you're in the market for a midsize SUV, put this one right at the top of your short list." -- Edmunds
• "… the Passport is capable, well-equipped and incredibly roomy. The Passport should also lure new buyers to the Honda brand thanks to its wide-spread appeal. Unlike the CR-V and Pilot, the Passport doesn't have the stigma of being a family SUV, so it should have a better chance at luring empty nesters. But even though it's not necessarily a family SUV, the Passport should also appeal to small families that don't need a third row but want something a little bit bigger and a little more capable than a CR-V. The 2019 Honda Passport is an extremely solid all-rounder, and we suspect it won't be long until you see them all over. " -- Left Lane News